1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to advertisement supported video downloading of the type wherein advertisements are included with downloaded video.
2. Background Art
Videos generally comprises a number images embodied in a number of full-frame video frames. The video frames may be displayed over time to view the mages included on the various video frames. With respect to broadcast television, for example, advertisements may be included within the video, such as but not limited to supporting costs and other expenses associated with broadcasting the video.
The advertisements may be full-frame advertisements in that they occupy full video frames in a similar manner as the images associated with the watched content. When a viewer watches the video, the images are not shown while the advertisement are being shown due to the corresponding images being full-frame images occupying the entire viewing area.
A portion of the content/image related frames may be interrupted with a number of advertisement frames in a process generally referred to as advertisement splicing. The splicing generally corresponds with the advertisement related video frames being inserted between successive image or non-advertisement frames such that the advertisement frames must be viewed before returning to viewing of the images frames.
One problem with this approach, which is particularly detrimental to the advertisers paying for the corresponding advertisements, occurs when viewers watch the video in a non-real time or non-broadcast manner, such as but not limited to viewing from a video recorder, PC, etc., and fast forwards past, skips, or otherwise limits viewing of the advertisement frames.